Synopses & Reviews
"Black women writers and critics are acting on the old adage that one must speak for oneself if one wishes to be heard." —Claudia Tate, from the introduction
Long out-of-print, Black Women Writers At Work is a vital contribution to Black literature in the 20th century. Through candid interviews with Toni Morrison, Gayl Jones, Gwendolyn Brooks, Audre Lorde, and many others, the book highlights the practices and critical linkages between the work and lived experiences of Black women writers whose work laid the foundation for many who have come after.
Responding to questions about why and for whom they write, and how they perceive their responsibility to their work, to others, and to society, the featured playwrights, poets, novelists, and essayists provide a window into the connections between their lives and their art.
Finally available for a new generation, and featuring a new introduction, this classic work has an urgent message for readers and writers today.
Review
"Tate's probing, provocative and insightful questions set a new standard for the interview as a genre." — Valerie Smith, Princeton University
Review
"This is a gorgeous and essential collection of writings from a group of the most important Black women writers. I have turned to repeatedly over the past thirty years and I'm thrilled that Haymarket has republished it for another generation to treasure." — Imani Perry, author of Looking for Lorraine
Review
"When this classic collection was published in 1984, the writers Claudia Tate interviewed were engaged in the creative work that produced new Black feminist terrains. Today Black Women Writers at Work serves as a much-needed reminder that the imagination always blazes trails that lead us toward more habitable futures." — Angela Y. Davis, author of Freedom is a Constant Struggle
About the Author
Claudia Tate was a professor of English and African-American
studies at Princeton University, known for her innovative contributions
to African-American literary criticism. Black Women Writers at Work was Tate's first book.